Japan Disaster Should Serve As A Warning Here To Be Prepared

Educators at East Carolina University spent part of their spring break Friday watching events unfold in Japan and across the Pacific.

At the Center for Natural Hazards Research, the assistant director says it's unclear what impact the quake and tsunami could have on us in the East -- though he doesn't expect gas prices or our economy to be affected much.

Craig Landry says it could actually have a positive impact if it encourages people to prepare for potential disasters. "Certainly the visual images do drive it home when you see it. It kind of reinforces that we are exposed to those kind of hazards. Even though it's not likely to be a tsunami here, it's more likely to be a storm surge associated with a hurricane. But it should hopefully enforce our will to be prepared."

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